CD Reviews

The worst collection in this series.

Ryan A. Rigg | 04/14/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have reviewed all of the previous volumes of Rhino's "The Disco Years" series, and aside from a couple of songs, Rhino truly saved the worst for last. This is a clear example of a record company having success with the first few volumes, and trying to milk that success for everything they can.

This CD starts out with the truly horrible "Don Quichotte" by Magazine 60. Inexplicably, this song climbed all the way to #56 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1986. Which begs the question, since this song is so bad and it came out years after the disco era ended, why did Rhino include such a horrendous piece of trash?

Things get better with Track 2, Silver Convetion's disco nugget "Fly Robin, Fly" which was also a #1 hit on the Hot 100 in 1975. Although the song is simplistic, it exemplifies the beginning of the disco era when the music was embraced as something new and bold.

Track 3 takes us back to the dregs of disco with Sarah Brightman's "(I Lost My Heart To A) Starship Trooper". This song tried desperately to latch onto the "Star Wars" hoopla of the era, and it's failure to make a dent on the charts proves that it was so bad that not even cashing in on the SciFi craze of the time could save it.

Track 4 is Eruptions remake of "I Can't Stand the Rain" which climbed to #18 on the Hot 100 in 1978. Not a bad song, and surprisingly the most successful version, but the original by Ann Peebles and Tina Turner's 80's remake are much better.

Track 5 is a totally forgettable song by studio group The B.B. & Q. Band. Let's move on.

Track 6 is a decent song by Debbie Jacobs, that only reached #106 in 1979. This is a good song and it is surprising that it did not do better during the last great year for disco (1979).

"Cruisin the Streets" by Boystown Gang is next. This song may have been a big hit in the clubs, but it's obvious gay subject matter kept it from becoming a crossover success (even during the Village People era). A fun song.

Following up that gay club anthem is another one, "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. This song performed a little better as a crossover, reaching #46 in 1983. As I was too young to go to clubs during this time, I do remember the video being played on HBO's "Video Jukebox" and enjoying the eye candy (although I had to pretend to be disgusted).

Kool & the Gang's "Take my Heart" is not disco and it does not belong on this compilation. Enough said.

Track 10 is Voyage's "I Surrender" which failed to chart on the Hot 100 in 1982. Another example of disco music failing to make a dent on the charts after disco died.

Chic's "Rebels are We" is next and is a good song, if not exactly a Chic classic like "Le Freak" or "Good Times". The song peaked at #61 on the Hot 100 in 1980. I have already mentioned in a review for a previous volume that Chic was busy during this period producing other artitst, and quite possibly were sacrificing their own albums by giving better material to other artists.

Track 12 is Cheryl Lynn's underappreciated "Shake it Up Tonight" which climbed to #70 in 1981. Cheryl had two uphill battles in her career. #1 - she was considered a disco artist after disco music died; and #2 - she was slightly heavy and as we all know, in the early 80's if you were not camera ready, then "Video Killed the Radio Star".

Next up is Ashford & Simpson's devine "Found a Cure" which peaked at #36 on the Hot 100 in 1979.

This is followed by Evelyn King's great "I'm in Love" which only reached #40 on the Hot 100 in 1981. This song should have been a much bigger hit, and it's failure to perform better just shows that disco music was pretty much dead by the early 80's.

As mentioned earlier, Kool & the Gang's "Get Down on It" is not disco and it does not belong on this compilation.

HERE IS THE TRUE GEM OF THIS CD: BELL & JAMES EXCELLENT "LIVIN' IT UP (FRIDAY NIGHT)". Buy this CD if only for this excellent song that reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979. A prime example of why I loved music in 1979.

The CD concludes with 2 songs from 1976. One good, the other not so good. The first one (the good one) is Hot Chocolate's funky "You Sexy Thing" (which found a 2nd life thanks to "The Full Monty"). The last track (the bad one) is the Ritchie Family's "The Best Disco in Town" - this song somehow climbed all the way to #17 on the Hot 100 in 1976, but it sounds like a really bad musical review number from a cruise ship or a really bad 70's variety TV show.

So, apart from a couple of really good songs, this CD contains some really hideous songs. You would do better to try to search out the good songs on other CD's and not subject yourself to the horror of Magazine 60 or Sarah Brightman & Hot Gossip. Buyer beware."

Great Party Music

mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 07/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"just for Bell&James Living it up Friday Night is the jam.Kool&the gang are bumping on this Disc.Get Down on it.this is really good for a party.but some of these songs don't really fit the Disco Label.still Great Material here.i say this because their is Instrumentation on many of these songs."

Popular and rare disco singles

Glenn R. Chappell | Portsmouth, VA USA | 05/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some great disco singles. This is mostly for the die hard disco fans. Rhino is the best in quality and production. Great booklet also included."